Language Arts — Close Reading, Argument, and Vocabulary

Language Arts: Claim, Evidence, Warrant, and Close Reading

Grades K-12 | Aurora Curriculum Pack

Aurora Language Arts standard: Every claim needs evidence (specific words from the text) and a warrant (the sentence that explains WHY the evidence proves the claim). All three parts are required. Opinion without evidence is not an argument. A summary is not a claim. The goal is to think with the text, not just about it.

Text information — complete before beginning:
Title: _______________________________________
Author: _______________________________________
Date written or published: _______________________________
Source type (circle one): Primary source Secondary source Fiction Nonfiction Poetry Informational
Genre: _______________________________________

Grade Band: K-3 — Reading Response, Retelling, and Beginning Argument

Grades K-3

Sentence starters for K-3 scholars:
For retelling: "First... Next... Then... Finally..."
For opinion: "I think... because the book says..."
For connection: "This reminds me of... because..."
For question: "I wonder why..."

Part 1 — Retelling: Beginning, Middle, End

Beginning — Who and where?

Middle — What happened?

End — How did it end?

The most important part was:

Part 2 — Characters and Feelings

Name the main character: _______________________________________________

Draw a line from the character's action to the feeling it shows:

What the character did (quote or describe)	This shows the character felt...

Part 3 — Beginning Opinion Writing (K-3 Claim)

My opinion about this text is: _______________________________________________

One reason I think this is: _______________________________________________

The part of the text that shows this is: _______________________________________________

Part 4 — New Word I Learned

The word: _______________

What I think it means:

The sentence from the text:

My sentence using this word:

Aurora Pause — K-3

Name one character from this book who solved a problem. What problem did they solve? How did they solve it? Could you solve a problem the same way?

Grade Band: 4-7 — Full Claim-Evidence-Warrant and Vocabulary Study

Grades 4-7

The three-part argument:
Claim: A position or interpretation — not a fact, not a summary. It takes a stand. ("The author argues..." or "The central idea is..." or "This document reveals...")
Evidence: Exact words from the text in quotation marks, with page or paragraph number. Paraphrase is acceptable only if you note it.
Warrant: The connecting sentence that explains WHY this evidence supports this claim. Start with "This evidence shows..." or "This proves the claim because..."

Part 1 — First Read: Annotate as You Read

While reading, mark the text (or your notes below) with:

! = surprising ? = confusing * = important [quote] = would use as evidence

Three things I marked and why:

Part 2 — Second Read: Identify the Central Idea

The central idea of this text is not what it is about — it is what the author is arguing or showing about the topic. State the central idea in one sentence:

Two details that support this central idea (use specific examples, not vague statements):

Detail 1: _______________________________________________

Detail 2: _______________________________________________

Part 3 — Full Claim-Evidence-Warrant (Complete all three)

Claim: Write one arguable claim about this text — a position that could be disagreed with:

Evidence: Quote the specific words. Copy exactly and put in quotation marks. Include location:

Paragraph or page where found: _______

Warrant: Explain the connection. Why does this evidence prove the claim?

Part 4 — Counter-Claim and Rebuttal (Grades 6-7)

State one counter-claim — something someone who disagreed with your claim might say:

Rebuttal — why does your evidence still support your original claim despite the counter-claim?

Part 5 — Vocabulary: Frayer Model

Choose one important word from the text. Complete the Frayer Model:

Word: _______________________________________________

Definition in my own words

Definition from dictionary or context

Example from the text (quote it)

Non-example (something this word does NOT describe)

Use this word correctly in a sentence of your own: _______________________________________________

Part 6 — Author's Craft

Identify one specific technique the author uses (circle one): Repetition Contrast Figurative language Direct address Loaded language Primary source quotation Statistics

Quote the example from the text: _______________________________________________

Explain the effect — why does this technique make the writing stronger or more persuasive? _______________________________________________

Aurora Pause — Grades 4-7

What question does this text raise that you would need a SECOND source to answer? Name the specific question AND the specific type of source you would go to (primary source, news archive, scientific study, government document, etc.) and why that source would be better than this text alone:

Grade Band: 8-12 — Rhetorical Analysis, Synthesis, and Extended Argument

Grades 8-12

Rhetorical analysis asks three questions:
Ethos: How does the author establish credibility? Are they qualified? Do they acknowledge complexity or counterarguments?
Pathos: How does the author appeal to emotion? Is the emotional appeal legitimate (connected to evidence) or manipulative (disconnected from facts)?
Logos: How does the author use logic and evidence? Are the facts verifiable? Is the reasoning valid?

Part 1 — Rhetorical Situation

Question	Your Analysis
Who is the author? What are their credentials, interests, or position?
Who is the intended audience? What do they already believe?
What is the historical or cultural context in which this was written?
What is the author's purpose? (to inform, to persuade, to call to action, to document, to entertain)

Part 2 — Rhetorical Analysis: Ethos, Pathos, Logos

Ethos — Quote one moment where the author builds credibility:

Is this credibility earned or assumed? Explain: _______________________________________________

Pathos — Quote one emotionally charged moment:

Is the emotional appeal legitimate or manipulative? Explain: _______________________________________________

Logos — Identify one specific claim the author makes and evaluate the evidence provided:

Claim: _______________________________________________

Evidence the author provides: _______________________________________________

Is this evidence sufficient? What is missing? _______________________________________________

Part 3 — Extended Argument (Claim-Evidence-Warrant-Counter-Rebuttal)

Your thesis claim about this text:

Evidence 1 (quote, with location): _______________________________________________

Warrant 1 (why does this prove your claim?): _______________________________________________

Evidence 2 (quote, with location): _______________________________________________

Warrant 2: _______________________________________________

Counter-argument (what would a thoughtful opponent say?): _______________________________________________

Rebuttal (why does your evidence still hold?): _______________________________________________

Part 4 — Vocabulary in Context: Three Words

Word	Context (quote the sentence)	Meaning as used	Connotation (positive, negative, neutral)	Why the author chose this word

Part 5 — Synthesis: Connect to Another Text or Source

Name a second text, primary source, or documented event that connects to what this text argues. Explain the connection — does the second source confirm, complicate, or contradict the first text's argument?

Second source: _______________________________________________

Aurora Pause — Grades 8-12

Frederick Douglass wrote in his 1845 Narrative: "The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers." James Baldwin wrote in 1962: "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." Toni Morrison wrote in 1993: "If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else." All three are documented statements about literacy, power, and responsibility. Write one paragraph connecting what you read today to one of these three statements. Your paragraph must have a claim, at least one piece of evidence from today's text, and a warrant that connects the evidence to the quotation you chose.